Zetterberg set to return to practice; out for Games 1 and 2

Detroit Red Wings left wing Henrik Zetterberg (40) skates in front of Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick (32) after scoring a goal earlier this season. Zetterberg will return to practice Tuesday. It’ll be his first skate with the team since prior to the Olympics. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

DETROIT >> The Detroit Red Wings are getting healthy at the right time.

And the injury update hopes to get even better after practice Tuesday.

Henrik Zetterberg will be on the ice at the start of practice Tuesday as the Wings prepare for their opening round series with the Boston Bruins, which begins Friday.

“I don’t know if he’ll be in a full practice, but he’ll be on the ice at the start of it, be on for a little bit then get off,” Holland said in a phone interview Monday. “Then we’ll see how he is Wednesday.”

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Zetterberg underwent successful surgery on Feb. 21 in New York to remove part of a disc which was rubbing against a nerve, which caused severe back pain.

“It’s eight weeks on Friday,” Holland said. “He skated on his own a little bit last week. It’s just the next step along the lines of rehabilitation. The time frame is we need another week before we can have any discussions where he’s at.

“It’s good news he’s going to skate with the team (Tuesday), but the bigger news is how does he feel on Wednesday,” Holland continued. “Then, if feels good enough to skate on Wednesday then the next bigger news will be how does he feel to skate on Thursday?”

Holland has ruled Zetterberg out for the first two games in the series, which takes place Friday and Sunday in Boston.

“He might be out for the entire first round series,” Holland said. “We have said going back six or seven weeks that after eight weeks that he will be given the green light to have physical contact. It’s good news to hear that he’s going to skate tomorrow for a little bit and then we’re anxious to see how his back responds on Wednesday.”

Zetterberg has been sidelined since the Winter Olympics after playing just one game with Sweden.

Despite playing in just 45 of the Wings’ 82 games this season, Zetterberg finished tied for third on the team in points with 48 and led the team with a plus-19.

“I want to play hockey again this year,” Zetterberg said in his only meeting with the media since surgery back on March 26. “Whenever we’re in the playoffs it’s the best time of the year.”

Zetterberg, 33, missed 11 games in December with a slightly herniated disc. He also missed two games in January due to it.

Zetterberg began having issues with his back in 2008, which made him miss the All-Star break.

In 2007, he injured his vertebra and missed several weeks.

Ins and outs

Jonathan Ericsson is likely out for the first round of the playoffs.

“I think he’s done for the first round of the playoffs, but I don’t know,” Holland said.

Ericsson had successful surgery to stabilize his fractured finger and repair a partially torn tendon on March 19.

Jonas Gustavsson (left shoulder) will return to practice Tuesday. He was injured Wednesday in a shootout loss to Pittsburgh and didn’t dress the final two regular season games.

Rookie defensemen Xavier Ouellet and Ryan Sproul will remain with the team until at least Thursday according to Holland.

“They’re going to stay here the next three days so that they know our system so that they’re involved in all our preparations on Boston and the Boston series,” Holland said. “Then, in all likelihood they’re probably going back. But if we have an injured defenseman and we need to call one up they know what we’re doing.”

Both played in Sunday’s 3-0 win over St. Louis.

Sproul logged 18:25 of ice time, 3:25 came on the power play. He had three shots on goal, blocked two shots and had two hits, one of which was a crushing blow against the boards on the Blues’ Derek Roy.

“He’s 6-foot-4, he can skate, he shoots BBs and he’s smart and he moves the puck,” Wings coach Mike Babcock said after the game. “Ouellet makes the right play each and every time. They’re good.”

Ouellet skated 16:21, 2:09 came on the penalty kill. He had one shot and one hit.

Sproul, a right-handed shot, become the ninth player to make his NHL debut for the Wings this season.

It was Ouellet’s fourth game with the Wings this season.

Send comments to chuck.pleiness@macombdaily.com and visit his blog at redwingsfront.wordpress.com